by All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL.
Oaklee’s Family Guide can get you out and about, but there are ways to stay active even when you’re hangin’ at home. The best way to get your child moving during the summer is to participate along with them. Here’s a list of fun summer activities compiled by All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida that you and your child can do together:
- Dancing: Turn some music on during chores, household activities or even when the kids are starting to get a little sluggish. Choose upbeat music your kids enjoy to get their body moving.
- Playing with a ball: As simple as it seems, a game of catch or passing a ball with your feet can burn calories. Especially if you’re out at the beach, don’t let your child sit around playing in the sand the whole time – get them running around and catching a ball for a few minutes of easy exercise.
- Having electronic-free days: The electronics that our children are plugged into are the enemy of fitness. Set boundaries on their use and schedule electronic-free days or hours of the day to encourage activity.
- Walking every day: Get in the habit of taking a walk as a family after dinner before you sit down to watch TV or incorporate a walk into your family outings. Before you drag beach chairs and toys out when you arrive at the beach, leave all the gear in the car at first, put on the sunscreen and walk the beach. A short walk on the beach or around your neighborhood can be great exercise for everyone.
- Making an obstacle course: Whether it’s a maze through furniture or broomsticks on chairs to crawl under, you can use various household objects to make an obstacle course. Time your child and encourage them to beat their best time with each run through the obstacles.
See the rest of the list at All Children’s Hospital.
